Manuscript Consultation

Specializing in short fiction, award-winning author Katie Bickell appreciates the artist’s dedication to brevity while pursuing character and plot development, and offers substantive and stylistic manuscript edits to reflect these values. Substantive editing involves editing the structure/architecture of the work (macro issues of organization, including chapters, parts, openings, closings, transitions, etc.) as well as a stylistic edit (micro issues at a sentence level, looking at clarity, flow, and language).

Whether submitting a single short story or a collection, the author will receive a marked-up document from Katie to use while they perform revisions. Katie and the author will also meet either in-person or over Zoom to discuss the work and brainstorm solutions following the service, going through the edits page by page. Best of all – there’s no cap on time for this. A story takes however long it takes.

Please contact Katie to receive a quote on your project. References from former manuscript consultation projects available.

Creative Writing

Story Deconstruction: Exploring Tone

Explore the use of literary tone through the deconstructing Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. Using this classic text as a jumping off point, author Katie Bickell will offer tips to students on how to effectively incorporate tone in their own work. Participants are expected to read the short story prior to class and participate in friendly conversation on the text and about writing tone following the lecture.

The details:

• Zoom-based or in-person workshop presented with a live slideshow
• Required reading can be found for free online
• The workshop is approximately 1.5-2 hours long

Creative Writing

Story Deconstruction: Exploring The Unreliable Narrator 

Explore crafting ‘The Unreliable Narrator’ by deconstructing Charlotte Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper. Using this classic text as a jumping off point, author Katie Bickell will offer tips on using the technique of The Unreliable Narrator in their own work. Participants are expected to read the short story prior to class and participate in friendly conversation on the text and on the writing subject following the lecture.

The details:

• Zoom-based or in-person workshop presented with a live slideshow
• Required reading can be found for free online
• The workshop is approximately 1.5-2 hours long

Creative Writing

Story Deconstruction: Exploring Third Person Objective Point of View 

Explore the use of third person objective point of view by deconstructing Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants.” Using this classic text as a jumping off point, author Katie Bickell will offer tips on writing in Third Person Point of View. Participants are expected to read the short story prior to class and participate in friendly conversation on the text and on the writing subject following the lecture.

The details:

• Zoom-based or in-person workshop presented with a live slideshow
• Required reading can be found for free online
• The workshop is approximately 1.5-2 hours long

Creative Writing

Story Deconstruction: Exploring Second Person Point of View

Explore writing in the second person point of view by deconstructing Margaret Atwood’s “Bread”. Using this classic text as a jumping off point, author Katie Bickell will offer tips on writing in Second Person Point of View. Participants are expected to read the short story prior to class and participate in friendly conversation on the text and on the writing subject following the lecture.

The details:

• Zoom-based or in-person workshop presented with a live slideshow
• Required reading can be found for free online
• The workshop is approximately 1.5-2 hours long

Creative Writing

Less is More: A Six-Week Short Fiction Lab

There’s no one way to craft a short story, but there are tried-and-true ways to organize, furnish, and enrich it. In this six-week course, author Katie Bickell will show writers how to apply those various techniques to their own story, as they develop it in class. Through lectures, group discussions, and activities, she’ll guide each of them from conception to early draft editing, along the way learning how to improve their work’s themes, subtext, plot, character development, story architecture, and the writer’s own relationship to creativity.

This is an interactive course designed for emerging literary fiction writers in the pre-publication or early publication stages of their career. 

Each workshop is also available to be taught as a stand-alone workshop.

Workshops included:

• Intro to Literary Fiction & Character-Driven Fiction
• Change is Good: Plot Arcs and External Conflict
• Searching for Meaning: Theme and Literary Devices that Support Theme
• Where’s the Action? Story Pacing, Transitions, Narrative Devices, and Flow
• Kindness and the Creative Process: Overcoming Procrastination, Writer’s Block, and the Inner Critic
• Small Details Make the Big Picture: Editing Tips

The details:

• 6 zoom-based or in-person workshops presented with a live slideshows
• All required reading can be found for free online
• Each workshop is approximately 1.5-2 hours long

Creative Writing

Mindfulness & Memoir

The key to great writing is to ‘show, don’t tell.’ In this workshop, participants are guided through a series of mindful writing prompts designed to incorporate the five senses into a memoir, poetry, or fiction project. This is an interactive class and participants should be prepared to both write and gather easy-to-find materials prior to the workshop.

The details:

• Zoom-based workshop presented with a live slideshow
• The workshop can be tailored to fit 1-3 hour time slot
• Student participation and story sharing required (not applicable for 1-hour workshop length)

Creative Writing

Capturing Memories: A Memoir & Ghostwriting Workshop

Learn to craft compelling personal narratives with author Katie Bickell. This workshop explores essential techniques for memoirs or ghostwriting: interviewing and structuring outlines, leveraging technology for a seamless writing process, and the delicate balance of what to include and exclude. Learn to navigate the nuanced art of documenting lived events with discretion and honesty.

The details:

• Zoom-based workshop presented with a live slideshow
• The workshop can be tailored to fit a 2 hour time slot

Creative Writing

For Children: Main Character Creation

Perfect for kiddos in grades 4-7, students are invited to creating a unique main character in this fun workshop. Participants will learn the difference between “flat” and “rounded” characters in fiction, and then develop their own hero (or villain) through a series of creative exercises. Expect to write, draw, interview a figment of the imagination, and have a lot of fun!

The details:

• Zoom-based or in-person workshop presented with a live slideshow
• The workshop is approximately 1.5 hours long

Creative Writing

Packing a Punch: Big Stories in Small Spaces

Learn how to craft powerful narratives in as few words as possible from an award-winning short story writer. Working from a collective prompt, students will workshop a piece of flash fiction into a succinct-but-rich tale using a variety of tools. This course has been successfully featured in numerous libraries and for such groups as Alexandra Writer’s Centre Society, The Writer’s Guild of Alberta, and Pandemic University.

The details:

• Zoom-based workshop presented with a live slideshow
• The workshop can be tailored to fit 1-3 hour time slots
• Students should expect to leave the course with a polished piece of flash fiction, as well as a list of flash fiction markets open to submissions
• Student participation and story sharing required (not applicable for 1-hour workshop length)

Creative Writing

When You Just Don’t Wanna: Tips for the Lazy Writer

Some call it writer’s block, others call it a lack of motivation. Either way, every writer sometimes struggles to get their butt in the seat. This lighthearted course will cover several ways to trick your brain and seduce the muse, even when tapping keys feels like pulling teeth. This course has been successfully featured in the past through Alexandra Writer’s Centre Society.

Motivational Tips Include:

• The 50/10 Method
• Dressing the Part
• Timer Tracking
• Scenery Switching
• Silencing Software
• Writing Blind
• Dictation
• Shouting it Out

The Details:

• Zoom-based class presented with a live slideshow
• The class can be tailored to fit 1-2 hour time slots
• Students can expect to receive a Lazy Writer’s Tip Sheet and to share a few laughs

Career Workshops

The High School Resume

A professional resume writer, Katie Bickell helps students craft a work-winning document from start to finish by teaching foundational information and tips & tricks, as well as providing advice as to what to put on the cover letter, and how to prepare for the interview. This course has been a hit in high school CALM classes!

The Details:

• Zoom-based class presented with a live slideshow
• Class can be tailored to fit time slot of 30 – 75 minutes with time for student questions

Career Workshop

How to Get Published

Unlock the secrets to getting published with this career workshop hosted by Katie Bickell. New writers will learn the ins-and-outs of how to submit to literary journals, agents and traditional publishing houses, while also gaining deeper understanding on author rights and literary scams.

The Details:

• Zoom-based class presented with a live slideshow
• The interactive class can be tailored to fit 1.5 hour time slot with time for student questions

Career Workshop

The Job Seeker’s Guide to Success

A professional resume writer for more than 10 years, Katie Bickell helps students craft a work-winning document from start to finish by teaching foundational information and tips & tricks. Also included: the difference between a resume and CV, formats needed for uploading documents to online job banks using automatic tracking systems, what to put on the cover letter, and how to prepare for the interview.

The Details:

• Zoom-based class presented with a live slideshow
• The interactive class can be tailored to fit 1 hour – 1.5 hour time slot with student questions
• Students can expect to receive a comprehensive checklist to map their job search journey as easily as possible.

Career Workshop

Building Your Literary Resume

Often immersed in a culture outside of the traditional workforce, many artists don’t think about their resumes until either grant season or until the perfect position becomes available.

Both an author and professional resume tutor, Katie Bickell has written CVs for writers, filmmakers, editors, publishing agents, and visual artists, and has witnessed firsthand the self-doubt that can occur as these professionals try to sum the wealth of their skill, experience, and credentials into only a couple pages – and often at high stake in a highly competitive environment. This workshop provides practical advice on how to showcase your artistic achievements and potential, regardless of what stage of career you are in.

In this workshop, Katie breaks down The Literary Resume section by section (including overall graphic design), answering the most common questions she receives regarding this topic:

• What is the difference between a resume & a CV, and which one do I need?
• Are gaps in work history okay?
• How do I narrow down my publication list?
• Should I include my employment outside of the arts sector?
• How should I explain upcoming gigs or obligations?
• Can I still list the experience if it wasn’t paid?

The Details:

• Zoom-based class presented with a live slideshow
• The interactive class can be tailored to fit a 1.5 hour time slot with student questions
• All students will receive a handy tip sheet to reference as they create their own artistic CVs.

Book a Workshop or Speaking Event

Please use the form below to connect with author Katie Bickell.

Form not working? email katie (at) alwaysbravecreative (dot) ca.